Voting-machine.



No. 70I,206. Patented May 27, I902.

G. W. LAPBADE.

VOTING MACHINE.

(Application filed Aug. 29, 1901.)

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Patented May 27, I902. G. W; LAPRADE.

VOTING MACHINE.

{Application filed Aug. 29, 1901.)

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No. 701,206. Patented May 27, I902.

' G. W. LAPRADE.

VOTING MACHINE.

Application filed Aug. 29, 1901.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIcE.

GEORGE W. LAPRADE, OF FRANKLIN COUNTY, VIRGINIA.

VOTING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 701,206, dated May 27, 1902.

Application filed August 29,1901. Serial No. 73,690. (No model.) I

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. LAPRADE, a citizen of the United States, residing in the county of Franklin and State of Virginia, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Voting-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in votingmachines, and has for an obj ect,among others, to provide a novel construction of voting-machine in which one portion to be operated by the voter may be located within the booth or voting-place, while the other portion or register arranged for operation by the judges of the election may be arranged in the apartment occupied by the judges; and the invention consists in certain novel constructions and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section thereof on about line 2 2 of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a top plan View of the machine with the lid opened, parts being broken away. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional View of the inking-block. Fig. 5 is a face view, and Fig. 6 a sectional view, of the lower portion of one of the type-levers. Fig. 6 shows another form. Fig. 7 is a detail view representing an inking-brush and the supporting and operating devices there- Fig. 8 is a sectional view illustrating one end of one of the ballot-supporting rolls; and Fig. 9 is a sectional view illustrating the opposite end of such roll, all of which will be described.

By my invention I provide means whereby the voter may print the names of the diiferent candidates he wishes to vote for on the ballot-sheet, which is arranged in the form of a strip Wide enough to contain in one line the names of all the candidates to be voted for in the election, together with means under the control of the judges of the election for advancing the ballot-sheet, which means are also arranged to operate the inking-brush and, further, to operatea register so the number of voters who have cast their ballots can be determined at any time.

In carrying out my invention I provide a suitable box or casing A, having a lid B, hinged at 0, so it can be opened, as shown in Fig. 3, whenever desired'to expose the interior mechanism. Within this casing I form the voting-compartment O and the registering-compartment D by means of a vertical partition E, which separates the compartments D and O. The compartment D has a number of registering-wheels E connected with indicators operating along dials E on the outer side of the registering-compartment D, which dials and their wheels may be arranged to indicate units, tens, hundreds, &c., and may be extended to any desired degree. This register is operated by a pinion F on the shaft F,which shaft is journaled in the casing, has at F a handle by which it may be turned by the judges of election or others in authority, and is provided at F within the compartment O with a disk supporting a pin F, which is arranged to operate upon a springactuated arrn F having a hammer F, arranged to strike a bell F every time the shaft F is rotated. lVhen the shaft F is rotated, it operates the register, sounds the bell F advances the ballot-sheet by suitable gearing with one of the wheels E of the registering mechanism, as will be more fully described hereinafter, and also operates the inking mechanism for'inking the type carried by the type bars or levers. It operates the registering mechanism by means of its pinion F, which is geared with the train of wheels of such mechanism, and one of such wheels of the registering mechanism is meshed with a pinion G on such shaft G, which is arranged for connection with one of the rollers sup porting the ballot-sheet, as will be hereinafter described. The ballot-sheet II is Wound on a roller J and in operation is drawn from said roller J and wound upon the roller I, passing in its passage between the rollers J and I around the bar or platen K, which receives the blow of the type in the printing operation. The receiving-roller may be increased in diameter to any desired extent, and thus provide more space for the printing of names. The rollers ljand J are alike, being provided in one end with a socket J to fit on a bearing or shaft, as shown in Fig. 8, and at their other ends with a socket J having in its inner end an enlarged chamber J receiving a spring which operates a follower-block J pressing the same normally outward. The

'of the candidates he wishes to vote for. will be noticed that he can print his votes purpose of this construction is to permit convenient application and removal of the rollers I and J, which can be done by fitting the socket J on a long stud and pressing the follower-block J back until the socket J at the opposite end of the roller can be fitted to its bearing-stud, when the block J will operate to adjust the roller to cause its socket J to fit on the bearing-stud therefor, as will be understood from Figs. 8 and 9. By the described construction I am able to readily remove and replace the rollers I and J with the attached ballot-sheet H. This may be done by the judges of the election when the voting is concluded or when it is necessary to renew the ballot-sheet.

The type-bars N are shown in the form of levers pivoted at N betwean their ends and operating within a slot 1) in the top B of the casing. This slot may extend from side to side of the casing or may be made of any suitable length to receive the number of bars N employed. These bars N are operated independently and are actuated by springs L. Near their lower ends the levers carry the types M for printing the names of the candidates. These types are fitted in a mortise N formed in the faces of the bars near their lower ends and are held. by means of blocks M and wedges M as will be understood from Figs. 5 and 6; but manifestly clamping-screws or other forms of clamping devices may be employed for securing the types in the sockets N as may be desired. The springs L connect with the lower arms of the levers N in order to retract the levers to the position shown in Fig. 2. The voter can by grasping the upper end of the, lever operate the same to cause it to print by its types M upon the ballot-strip passed over the platen-bar K, as will be understood from Fig. 2. In practice it should be understood that the name of a candidate and the oflioe for which he is running will be printed or otherwise displayed upon one of the type-bars, so the voter can readily see who he is voting for and for what office. By providing the type-bars in series any voter can vote for any number of offices he desires. After the voter has retired from the booth the judges of election can. turn the shaft F, and so advance the ballotsheet. Ordinarily this advancing of the ballot-sheet will not be effected until just as a succeeding voter enters the voting-booth, so such voter will know the ballot-sheet has been advanced to provide a blank space across the ballot-sheet, on which he can print the names It either successively or by simultaneously operating the several type-bars, according to his choice; also that no matter how often he may operate any one of the type-bars only one vote will be recorded by such operation.

To renew the ink on the types, I prefer to employ an ink-carrier O, which is provided in. its upper side with. a longitudinal groove 0,

to receive the ink, and openings leading diagonally from such groove 0' to the face of the block, across which is strapped a felt, cloth, or other pad 0 which receives the ink and from which the ink is taken by the inking device and carried to the types. This inking device is shown in detail in Fig. 7and includes a brush P, secured at its end to slides P, which move vertically in guide-grooves P secured within the casing, and are operated by the rocking frame Q, whose arms Q, engage at Q with the slides P, are pivoted at Q to the casing, and are connected at their rear ends by a cross-bar Q which is connected by a pitman Q with a crank Q, on the shaft F, so the inking devices will be operated at each revolution of the shaft F, as before referred to. The play of the rocking frame Q is sufficient to adjust its inking device P from a position in which it takes the ink from the pad 0 to a position in which it directly inks the types carried at the lower ends of the type-bar, as will be understood from Fig. 2. By preference the inking-bar O is secured within the casing in similar manner to the rollers I and J, except that the bar 0 is provided in one end with two sockets 0 so the said bar will be held from turning when secured in the case. By this means the bar may be readily removed to renew the ink or the pad-cloth or for any other reason desired.

In the use of the invention a voter entering the booth may first require the judges to operate the shaft F to place the ballot-sheet in position to receive the vote. This operation registers the vote and also inks the types of all the levers and sounds the bell, as before described.

It will be noticed that all the votes cast for any candidate will appear in the same column, thus facilitating the counting of the votes and avoiding any possibility of mistake in the count. Also by registering the number of votes cast it will greatly simplify the voting operation and dispense with the services of many clerks now required at elections. The use of the machine avoids the necessity of printing the ballots before the election, as it makes each voter print his own ballot. Manifestly the number of levers may be varied to suit the number of candidates at any particular election. The levers may be of iron or other suitable material and when made of iron will ordinarily be provided with clamping-screws, as shown at R in Fig. 6, for holding the types in place instead of the wedges. The inking devices are simple and etlicient and are so arranged that the brush may pass over the types many times, and the type will print the same as if the brush had passed over it but once.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. Avoting-machine substantially as herein described, comprising the casing or framing, having the two compartments, tho registering mechanism in one of the compartments, an operating-shaft geared with the registering mechanism and provided with means for operating the alarm-bell, and with a crank-arm, an alarm-bell and its hammer arranged for operation by the main shaft, the inking devices, the upright slides carrying the same, the guides in the casing for said upright slides, the rocking frame for operating the slides and connected With the crank-arm of the driveshaft, the rollers supporting the ballot-sheet, one of said rollers being geared with the registering mechanism, the platen or guide-bar over which the ballot-sheet is directed, the ink-bar arranged to supply the inking devices,and the independen t type-bars arranged to be operated to print upon the ballot-sheet passed over the platen-bar, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the platen or guidebar for the ballot-sheet, the printing devices, the ink-carrier, the guides in the casing, the slides operating in said guides, the inking devices carried by said slides, the rocking frame engaged with the slides and means for operating the rocking frame, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of the rollers for supporting the ballot-sheet, the printing devices,

the inking devices including slides, and a rocking frame for operating the same, and means for advancing the ballot-sheet and for operating the rocking frame simultaneously, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination With the register, the rocking frame, the sliding inking devices carried by the rocking frame, the printing devices and the means for supporting the ballot-sheet, of gearing between the ballot-supporting means and the register, and the main shaft geared with the register and having a crank-arm connected with the rocking frame, substantially as set forth.

5. In a voting-machine the combination of the rollers for supporting the ballot-sheet, the platen or guide-bar for the ballot-sheet, the printing-levers, the ink-carrier, the inkingbrush movable between said carrier, and the types of the levers, the slides carrying said brush, the guides for said slides, the rocking frame engaging said slides, and the main shaft connected with said rocking frame, and gearing between the said shaft and one of the rollers supporting the ballot-sheet, substantially as set forth.

GEORGE \V. LAPRADE.

\Vitnesses':

W. T. LAPRADE, H. W. LAPRADE. 

